FAQ

General

1

Where are you located?

India > Tamil Nadu > Erode

2

Will you relocate?

No, I work only remotely.

3

What is your availability?

I’m available.

4

Are you available for full-time work?

Yes and no. I can work with you continuously for months, even years together but only on freelance basis. However, except for the terms of engagement, for all practical purposes you shall consider it full-time.

5

Can you come down to our office for a few days?

Usually no but it depends on your location and the needs of the project.

6

Do you work alone or do you have a team with you?

Alone

Work

1

What is your hourly rate?

I charge for my expertise and effort; not for my time. So, I don’t charge hourly, only fixed price. I believe as a client you should worry about whether I deliver the agreed results as per the agreed schedule and not about how much time it takes me to do it. Be rest assured that I’ll do what I say even if I have to work late hours to acheive it.

2

What is your design process?

Will you sign NDA?

No. I see NDAs as superfluous because,

I value clients’ ideas and respect their want of confidentiality of information. As a seasoned professional, by default I keep confidential all information I receive during a project and during the discussion of a potential project.

I value relationships; I always try to build long-lasting relationships with clients through mutual trust and satisfaction. I cannot gain trust by breaching confidentiality.

as an extremely conscientious person I treat everybody as I’d like to be treated. So, I see NDAs as superfluous.

Also, practically,

the ideas that you’re trying to protect by NDA may not be unique and in case somebody comes to me with the same idea then I would be at a disadvantageous position.

I hate legalese. Legalese muddles meanings and can possibly blindfold one and lead into a legal quagmire, which I don’t want to find myself or anybody in. So it’d require me to consult my lawyer, which means additional expense and time, which I don’t want to spend on something that I don’t require to do what I do.

4

Will you do a paid test job?

I completely understand you’d be comfortable if you could see my design for a small portion of your app/website before engaging with me for the full project. Also, by this way, both of us can get a feel for our way of working and communication. However, I find it difficult to justify the effort I put into a test job. Designing a small section of your product may look like a small task but when we take into account the time required for research, planning, brainstorming, sketching out ideas, analyzing them, establishing a visual style, etc., it becomes a biggish project (in case you think I don’t have to do all these steps and just ‘design’ that section then it becomes beautifying, not designing).

A test project of size, say, 1/25th of the full project usually requires a lot more than 1/25th of the effort required to complete the full project. So, my fee would be most certainly higher than what you think it’d be for the 1/25th part. So, after I size up the work and send you an estimate most likely it’ll be turned down :-) Even if you’re ready to pay what I ask, there is always the possibility of not getting to work on the full project, in which case I’d hate to see my effort go waste. For this reason I never take up test projects.

Alternatively, you can go through the case studies of my previous projects to get an idea of how I work and read my previous clients’ testimonials to get an idea of how it was to work with me; you can also talk to some of my previous clients if you feel so. I’ve never had an unhappy client and most of the work I get is from repeat clients.

5

What are your deliverables?

It differs from project to project. Usually it is any or all of the below:

What tools do you use?

Affinity Designer for wireframing and visual mockups.

Marvel for prototyping using wireframes.

HTML and CSS for the final build.

7

Will you sign a contract?

Of course, I’ll sign a contract but it’ll be the one that I create for the project in plain English. If you see contract as a checkbox to tick to start a project and send me a document loaded with legalese, the terms of which you yourself may not be clear, I won’t sign it. I see contract as a document that brings clarity to both of us on what to do, when to do it and what happens if something goes wrong. I use a contract roughly based on the famous contract killer.

What I won’t do

I won’t do only a part of the design process; For example, I won’t design only visuals for the wireframes that you provide.

I won’t continue the work of another designer.

I won’t do web hosting or maintenance work.

I won’t write Javascript.

I won’t work on products that promote religion, gambling or politics.

Got something to discuss?

Every so often you come across a designer that exceeds your expectations in every way. Rakesh is one of those guys. He communicates superbly, has a clear thought process and works promptly and efficiently. Most often he’s able to take what you have a vague idea about and turn it into a finished product with flair and polish. I really enjoyed working with him and will recommend his service to anyone who needs great design.